Partners
by speedrunner
Summary: "Your new partner is a person with … special circumstance." Tsunade said hesitantly. Ino's mind speculated. Oh my, could her partner possibly be Sasuke? When the door was opened however, it wasn't a dark haired man with sinister dark eyes that met hers. It was someone with slicked gray hair and violet eyes with a cruel,sadistic hint in his wide grin.
1. Prologue

**HELLO! HAHAHAHA I COULDN'T BELIEVE I MADE ANOTHER FIC WHILE I STILL HAVE ANOTHER FIC GOING. Don't worry, The Prettiest Girl new chapter is already done, it's just currently being beta'd by DoubleRainbowRaibow ;) I'm working on the next of the next chapter for that fic right now but suddenly I got a flash of idea for this fic! Hahaha!  
>Enjoy!<strong>

Screams echoed all across the T&I building. It wasn't uncommon for T&I to be decorated with numerous screams all the time, but this one particular scream hadn't ended ever since everybody came to work in the morning. The sun had almost set, and everybody started to wonder whether this one particular interrogation involved a very hard to crack detainee or the interrogator was just plainly sadistic and taking their time and pleasure on torturing people. Judging for the endless screams, it was most likely that the latter possibility was the one that was happening.

Therefore, when the door was finally turned open later that evening, people peered curiously at the person who had just won the award of 'The Most Sadistic Person of The Day'. They were expecting Anko, Tonbo, or Ibiki – the _regulars, _the well-known sadist-, so when platinum blonde hair swung as the person went out of the door instead, they couldn't help but to let out a surprised gasp. That hair could only belong to one person, and it was the girl who people had nicknamed 'Princess of T&I'.

Yamanaka Ino.

She looked exhausted and grim, as bloods splattered everywhere on her gray clothing and hairs. She shrugged her head and realized that everybody had been looking at her like she was a maniac or something so she gave people a brief, forced smile as she strode toward Ibiki's office.

Ibiki was working on his year end reports when there was a single knock before the sound of the door turned open before Ibiki could said an enter. He could already tell the person without even shrugging his head by that signature way of entering his door. It could only belong to one person: A bad mood Yamanaka Ino. He didn't look up at her before finally a stack of paper was put on the table. There was a pregnant silence between them as Ino sat in front of him and Ibiki continued writing his reports. It was almost like they were battling, challenging each other to be the first one to utter a word.

"That was the Grass Country intel's report on the 'Akatsuki Reborn' movement." She admitted defeat when she broke the silence between them.

"You sure take your time." Ibiki said without bothering to look up to face her properly.

"I don't want to use my mind technique or psychological manipulation today so I have to resort to physical torture." She said, her tone was detached. "... It seems like I forget that it's going to be hard to wash the blood on the uniform."

Ibiki kept his poker face but inside he was actually getting worried about the fading existence of emotions in his apprentice. She used to scream so loudly at the sights of blood spurting everywhere and yet now she slashed someone's body like crazy and all she's worried about was how the blood's going to be a pain in the ass during the washing.

"Are you turning into a sadist? Welcome to the club." Ibiki replied instead, smirk painted on his face. Ino gave a restrained chuckle.

"I'm not a sadist." She stated wearily. "Somebody talked trash about my father last night at the bar. He's dead for God sake!"

Ibiki gave her a weird look. "It's weird, I could say that Inoichi is pretty likable around the village."

"If he isn't then you think I'd be angry?" Ino gave him a skeptical look. "Point is, I'm not a sadist. Just a simple girl with a simple bad mood."

"It's pretty hard to deny when you just torture people so that you can release your pent up feelings."

"Well, I guess you can put it that way, then." Ino replied after a moment of contemplation.

"Quite a day for you to find this new fact, eh? You're dismissed." Ibiki smirked at her.

"Okay." Ino stood up and was about to leave when she stopped at the door and turned around.

"Oh, I received your memo earlier in the morning, anyway. There's something you want to talk about to me?"She asked.

Ibiki frowned, trying to remember about the memo. He inwardly growled when he remembered what it really was about. He gave Ino an uneasy smile.

"Ah, let's save that for tomorrow, when you're in a better state."

"I'm in a good state." Ino folded her hands stubbornly.

"You're 'll talk about this matter tomorrow. You're dismissed." He retorted sternly. Ino raised her eyebrows and shrugged her shoulder.

"Fine, then."

Ibiki was certain that if he had told Ino the way she was at that moment, she'd have gone back to that interrogation room and eventually killed her detainee.

"Sir, prisoner number 45 is dead." Iwashi walked inside the room hurriedly as he brought the data of the prisoner. Ibiki eyed the person and let out a heavy sigh.

Ah. Speak of the devil.

"Well. He's sentenced to death anyway, clean him up and I'll be reporting this matter to the Hokage."

"Yes, Sir."

As Iwashi left the room, Ibiki knew that he was making a good decision of not letting Ino knew the news. Yet.

XXX

When one had spent years and years under Ibiki's tutelage, even Tsunade looked so much softer and kinder. Tsunade fully realized this, and deciding that getting angry at Ino for doing her mistake would do no harm to her. Beside, Ibiki had promised her that he's going to personally take this matter into his hand. Also, Ibiki sent a letter saying that there's no use confronting her at the moment. Deliver some punishments, quick and clean, and then deliver the _news_.

Tsunade cursed inwardly. _Damn that Ibiki, giving that job to me._

"I was told to be in your presence, Hokage-sama?" Ino asked politely as she entered the door. Tsunade knew enough to see through that facade of mannerism. The smile painted on her lips was forced.

"Yes. Please." Tsunade gestured her to come closer. Ino walked closer to her table, keeping the smile intact.

"The head of the Torture and Interrogation, Morino Ibiki, had reported to me that during one of your interrogation yesterday, your suspect was wounded so badly he died an hour after you're done with him." Tsunade delivered the verdict first.

_Quick and clean._

Ino didn't flinch at that. Her smile was fading, but she didn't look scared at all. Or guilty, in that case. Was her decision to send the innocent florist to Ibiki was a wrong choice after all?

"He is sentenced to death in two days." Ino finally said. "And physical torture is not a violation of interrogation rules."

Tsunade nodded. "I am aware of that. However, there are also rules against killing a suspect, even when they're sentenced to death."

The look on Ino's face was once again unmoved. Ibiki had warned her about Ino in a bad mood or something, but Tsunade really started to wonder if this really was Ibiki's effect on her or something.

"I'm ready to accept any punishment, Hokage-sama." Ino said readily.

"The punishment for killing a prisoner is a year of no payment at minimum or the stripping of ninja status at maximum." Tsunade stated. "The prisoner is going to be dead in two days, so I'm going to give you a year of no payment. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Her reply was obedient but Tsunade could see a glint of disappointment in her eyes.

"Then, there are also another matter I'd like to discuss with you. But we have to wait for your boss to come here to sort it out. Don't worry, I've already sent an ANBU to fetch him."

There's _no way_ she's letting Ibiki to let her doing this alone.

"Tsunade-sama." Ibiki appeared in a smoke puff just as she was done saying that.

"I hear you …" He noticed Ino's presence and paused for a second. "Requested my presence." He continued.

"Yes. Please do stand next to me." Tsunade said. Ibiki nodded and approached her chair and stood next to her. Tsunade linked her hand and put her chin on it.

"So, Ino." Tsunade started. "Due to your recent move to the T&I division, Morino Ibiki had told me that you haven't had a partner yet, is that correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am." She nodded.

"While during interrogation and torture a partner is not such a necessary need, during course of investigation, it is very, very important that you have a partner to help you with things."

Ibiki gave Tsunade a look as if to remind her of today's jargon: _quick and clean._

"That is why, Ibiki and I decided to find a partner for you." Tsunade said, taking the hint.

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"Your new partner is currently being fetched here by my best ANBU. He is a person with … special circumstance." Tsunade said hesitantly.

"May I beg for an explanation, Hokage-sama?"

Ibiki cleared his throat at this. "Even if you're his partner, you are with obligations to keep watch on him all the time, keep him stable, and make sure that he didn't do anything that may harm the village."

Ino's brow furrowed but she nodded anyway.

"I understand, Sir." She said formally.

Little did she know how _little _she understood.

XXX

A special partner did make her sound someone important enough. Ino had already thousands of guesses in her mind when Tsunade said special circumstance. It could be anyone. It could be Juugo, it could be Karin, damn … It could be Orochimaru. Or, oh God, oh God, could it be Sasuke? Ino could feel herself getting excited for the prospect and she momentarily forgot her foul mood. She already projected how she bragged to Sakura about Sasuke being her partner and all. Ha. That's going to feel _so_ good.

There was a soft knock on the door and after Tsunade's permission, Sai went in.

"Tsunade-sama, I've brought the man." He said.

Tsunade nodded to him and told him to bring it in.

There wasn't a sight of red of Karin, orange of Juugo, or dark of Orochimaru or Sasuke. No. What she saw was the one that even after years in investigation AND a lot of people's mind, an unbelievable sight.

Slick gray hair, purple eyes, and a grin she came to hate for all her heart.

"This is Hidan, Ino. Your new partner." She could hear Ibiki in the background. She didn't respond, still with eye wide open. Somewhere in the back of her mind had shouted "Kai!" about a thousand times, in case this was a genjutsu Ibiki pulled on her to test her or something.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?" His raspy voice broke the deafening silence in the room.

Ibiki took a very, very deep breath as he saw Ino's frozen state. Soon, the part he was reluctant to face the most would come.

The outburst.

**Short I know I know I know :) Ino and Hidan as partners sounds good enough, no? No?**

**Hahahha. Please review, give me comments :) I love you all!**


	2. She Quits

**CHAPTER TWO HERE!**

**I like for my chapter for this story to be short :) It's easier that way. Thanks for everyone who has reviewed :) It means a lot to me.**

**At last, ENJOY!**

"_This is Hidan, Ino. Your new partner." She could hear Ibiki in the background. She didn't respond, still with eye wide open. Somewhere in the back of her mind had shouted "Kai!" about a thousand times, in case this was a genjutsu Ibiki pulled on her to test her or something._

"_What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?" His raspy voice broke the deafening silence in the room._

_Ibiki took a very, very deep breath as he saw Ino's frozen state. Soon, the part he was reluctant to face the most would come._

_The outburst._

_._

_._

_._

Ibiki watched his only student with wary and anxiety. He could tell that she wasn't finished with the whole foul-mood thing yet, and this one particular news seemed to hit her at all the right buttons for her to burst. His premonition came almost a half second later.

"What kind of conspiracy is this?!" She shouted angrily.

"We believe that Hidan-san had served his time of punishment and we have taken all measures to ..." Tsunade tried to compromise, but her words were cut by Ino before she could finish.

"He deserved to die!" Pain and desperation were thick on her voice as she said it. "You couldn't possibly let this … _abominable, horrendous_ man to be let free. Let alone working for Konoha."

"Yes and no." Ibiki said as he took a step forward. Ino shot him a glance and his heart flinched a little bit. It was as if her eyes screamed : 'How dare you to betray me!'

Of course, she said it the moment after he thought of that. "How dare you to betray me!"

He chose to ignore that. For now.

"Do you know how many people Konoha had lost over the Great War, Ino? A whopping one thousand. We are lacking staffs, lacking people strong enough to defend the village." Ibiki said coldly.

"Oh, and so we resort to criminals?" The look she's giving him was brimming with hate. However, when she turned to Tsunade, her expression got softer and when she eventually talked, her tone was way more polite.

"Tsunade-sama, you do realize that you are overlooking massacres, tortures, stealing, and every crime you can ever think of, didn't you?"

"Hidan had showed us a great record during his rehab for the last two years. We need to have as many hands we can have." Tsunade replied. Ino shook her head in disbelief. Two years? So they have planned this all along since the war ended?

How _dare _they.

"This man killed my Sensei!" She shrieked loudly enough for everyone in Konoha to hear. "He should deserve fate worse than death!"

"What are you talking about, woman? I'm immor ..."

The horrifying sound of flesh went through flesh echoed throughout the room. Before both Ibiki and Tsunade could stop it, Ino had pierced her chakra covered hands through his chest.

"I don't want hear anything from you, you detestable brute." She narrowed her cerulean eyes on his.

There was another popping sound of her crushing his heart before taking her hand out of his chest, blood all over her hands. Hidan fell to his knees holding his chest while making a low painful growl and a set of swearing.

"Ino!" Tsunade called to her with reprimanding looks.

"What? Am I going to get a suspension?" She asked with mockery in her tone.  
>"Damn right you are!" Tsunade's voice was filled with anger. She was not going to let any of her ninja commit such violence in her office. "Not only that ..."<p>

"No need for the fuss, Hokage-sama. I'm resigning anyway." Ino said as she eyed Ibiki. "You can expect my letter of resignation on your desk later this afternoon."

With that as her last words, she slammed the door to the Hokage office closed and left.

XXX

Ino stormed into Shikamaru's office in the Tactics and Strategy Division building, blatantly ignoring Shiho's meek request not to disturb the busy man. Shikamaru was of course, not busy at all. He was smoking a cigarette while observing the various shape of smoke he managed to make himself. As if he was used to Ino's spontaneus behavior, when she walked in, he didn't look surprise at all.

What surprised him, however, is the fact that she didn't say a single thing about him smoking. Usually it's always 'you just shortened half of your life span' or 'you kill people slowly with those sticks' or 'take those away. No argument.' In fact, she didn't even seem to notice that he was smoking.

"Did you know?" Her face was still red with fury. Shikamaru mentally groaned when he saw Ino with a mood like that. One wrong word with Ino in a state like this and he wasn't even sure what Ino would do to him. It was a thin, thin thread to tread. It was surely going to be a lot of pain in the ass.

_How troublesome._

"What am I supposed to know?" Shikamaru started reluctantly.

"Hidan." Ino breathed. Her face was filled with disgust when she said that name. "Hidan worked for Konoha now."

Oh. That. No wonder she's so angry right now. Shikamaru breathed deeply. He could handle this. He could go through this troublesome problem that somehow wormed its way into his office.

"How do you know?" He asked calmly.

"You _knew_?" She ignored his question and immediately accused him. "You _knew _all along and you _didn't_ tell me?"

One second of conversation and he already said all the wrong things. Shikamaru massaged his temple out of frustration.

"Chouji and I were told by the Hokage not to let you know."

Ino's eyes widened in shock. "Chouji and you know?!" She exclaimed.

Shikamaru inwardly protested at his current situation. Ibiki promised him that he'll be the one handling Ino for the delivery of the information. So why is she here, fuming at him?

"How can you be so calm about that!" Ino exclaimed even louder and Shikamaru covered his ears.

"Don't shout so loud Ino, everybody in the office can hear you."

"The killer of our Sensei is roaming free and _ALL _you care about is how loud I am? _What are you?_"

"I am just your realistic shinobi." Shikamaru said bluntly.

"Oh please, you're not going to give me 'how many people we've lost at war' crap." Ino scoffed.

"Do you really know how many people we've lost?" Shikamaru asked back.

"I thought statistics don't interest you." Ino retorted snidely.

"We lost too much to ignore the fact that we have a wide, gaping hole at our defense systems, Ino." He tried to explain. "With the great five village taking a huge blow because of the war, it's not unnatural if the smaller village wanted to ambush us and gain power."

Ino shook her head with disbelief at her teammate. "And you think I didn't know that? Don't you know how many hours I've spent interrogating people, prodding people mind for that? Still! It doesn't justify the fact that Konoha employed that … _brute_!

"That brute is freed by Kabuto during the war, and he is certainly going to be employed somewhere, Ino. Whether it's by a new Akatsuki-like organization, by another village, or by _us. _We have to use every resource available to keep this village to survive. It's not just about us anymore."

"You sick, back-stabbing _jerk_." Ino spat. "I'm leaving." She stomped her way to the door but Shikamaru couldn't help but to feel irked at his friend. How come she be so _oblivious_?

"You think Asuma would be happy to see this village crumble and fall?" He stood up, yelling behind her back. Ino stopped and immediately turned around.

"Don't you dare bringing him into this!" She shouted furiously. "Also I don't think that detestable brute would stand up for this village the moment it's going to crumble and fall. He's going to stab us where it hurts the most!"

"We're not letting thisvillage crumbling and falling." Shikamaru said. "Ino, when is it are you going to grow up?"

"If growing up means I have to cooperate with that man and forsaken my memory of Asuma-sensei, then NEVER!" She yelled. "You know what, I'm fed up with this. I quit."

_What?_ _She what?_

"You can't just quit like that." Shikamaru said as he strode across the room, approaching her.

"I can quit however I want." Ino breathed. "I will move to other country because there's no way in hell I live in Konoha knowing that that man is working here."

"You're overreacting." Shikamaru grabbed her wrist. "Chouji and I need you."

"Well, apparently you don't need me that much." Ino scoffed.

"Look, Ino..."

"That's exactly where the problem are." Ino said surprisingly gently this time. "I don't want to _look_. I can see your point, but I can never be heartless enough to do that to Asuma-sensei... or my father, in that case." Her voice was shaking at the mention of her father. Shikamaru was unable to utter a word as she yanked his hand and walked out of his office and he was left in front of his door.

As he headed back to his table, he made a low, frustrated growl. When Asuma made him promise to protect the "king", he knew it's never going to be easy.

He just didn't expect that in order to do that he needed to sacrifice the Queen as well.

XXX

Ibiki grinned inwardly as he watched Ino walking into his office, her letter of resignation was clutched tightly on her hands. At least that student of his still had the decency to personally gave him her resignation letter. Which he won't let happen, of course.

"I don't want to spend too long here." Ino said briefly as she put the letter of resignation on his table.

"I feel like I owe you and that's why I …"

Shred.

The sound of the shredding letter cut her words immediately as Ibiki ripped the letter in front of him. Ino scoffed. "That's not going to change anything. I'm still resigning."  
>"Nobody's resigning from T&amp;I alive, Ino." Ibiki said. "You're not stupid enough to realize that."<p>

"Are you going to kill me?" She dared him with mockery in her cerulean eyes.

"You know I couldn't." Ibiki admitted. There's no point in hiding that. "But I could make your life ..."

"A living hell. Yes. In case you forget, though, you just tried to do that this morning." She shot a look at him. Ibiki let out a heartless chuckle.

"I was trying to do you a favor."

"_What _favor?" Ino barked.

"He wouldn't die no matter what you did to him, Ino. You _crushed _his heart before and three minutes later, his body was already healed." Ibiki said. "Got the idea?"

This time, it was Ino who chuckled.

"And you thought he'll let me to do that again? I can't even beat Sakura at taijutsu, Sensei. Let alone _him_."

"Well, in my experience, I think you're pretty good at making a lot of _coincidence_." Ibiki smirked. "I've arranged Tsunade to drop the suspension for your bad behavior. The next time you did that, simply make sure that she wasn't around, and there wouldn't even be proof."

"He's going to kill me." Ino said. "You really think he wouldn't? There could only be so much of coincidence."

Ibiki looked hesitant at this. "Well, let's just put it that … he _couldn_'_t_."

"Why? Because he's such a good boy he's unable to kill now?" She retorted snidely.

"I might have played around with his body and his curse." Ibiki said and Ino winced at the thought of his sensei 'playing' around with people's body. "In short, if you died, his head will go straight back to that hole."

"He couldn't kill anybody? How useless."

"No. He couldn't kill _you_." Ibiki pressed his words. "It's complicated."

"It's not complicated." Ino said sternly. "What have you been doing to me?"

"I was grooming him to be your partner, and knowing his nature, of course I have to take measures to protect you." Ibiki said. "I promise your father to do so."

Ino shook her head. "What measures?"

"It's a one-way link. If you're hurt, he'll feel the pain. If you died his head will go straight back to that hole. As an added bonus, your body will heal the same way he did. Fancy, huh?"

"Are you saying that I'm _immortal_ now?" Ino asked in a high pitched tone. Ibiki laughed.

"You wish, Ino. You wish."

Ino's judging look stay and Ibiki shrugged his shoulder. "Well, maybe, a _little._"

"What do you mean by a little?" Ino screeched. "What are you doing to me, Sensei?"

"I have to do that or he'll hurt you." Ibiki said. "It's not like you won't be dead if someone severed your head. You're not _that_ immortal. See?"

"... You're one horrible man." Ino shook her had.

"I give you access to you hurting him without getting the rebound. You know he deserved something more than death the second he killed Asuma. What is better than this?"

"Nobody leaves T&I alive. So it's either the two of you, or none." Ibiki added.

Ino let out a heavy sigh. Ibiki was one sick, horrible, twisted man, but he was right. However, the thought of disrespecting Asuma to this extent disgusted her.

"You're not direspecting Asuma by doing this." Ibiki read her mind correctly. "You're avenging him."

"I'm not stupid enough to know that Asuma wouldn't want me to avenge him this way." Ino narrowed her cerulean eyes.

"He deserved to be avenged _this _way."

Ino looked at him. "Does anybody know about this whole linking thing?"

"Only the Hokage." Ibiki told her blatantly. "The Hokage personally take care of the medical process of the linking for you. We went through distance to do this."

Ino bit her lip. She was the only one who can do this. It was her and only her. If she's going to do this, she'll better make sure that she did it _right_. She'll better make sure that Hidan did live a living hell.

"Fine. I'll do this."

Ibiki smirked.

**Chapter two done! Please review and thank you so much!**


	3. His Fix

**HELLO!**

**You see I have exams on Monday :( and in between my boredness as I read through thousands of slides, I decided to write this chapter. (it's still productive in a way, so I feel a little less guilty for not studying hahahaha)**

I just write this in one go and it hasn't been proofread yet, even by me. I'm so sorry if there were mistakes all over the story :(

Please, enjoy my story!

"What are _you _doing?" As always, her voice was demanding and judging as she strode across the room, approaching him with widened eyes of disapproval.

"What do you think I am doing?" He retorted just as sharply as he watched her examining a brutally mutilated corpse in front of them. While that response would definitely garner him a stab right in the heart or at least a dismemberment of a part of his body six months ago, at the moment, Ino only let out a loud, annoyed scoff.

"This was tacky, even for you." She narrowed her eyes as she looked closely at the head of the poor woman. Hidan looked at Ino with a protested look.

"But I didn't ..."

"Of course you didn't, _idiot_." She sighed as she calmly put down a piece of hand. "This woman has been dead for a day, at least."

Hidan folded his hand. "So what do we do now, smartass?"

That name was the closest thing he had for endearment to Ino. She had called him idiot all the times, and he needed the urge to bite back. 'Bitch' got him losing both his foot for three days before Ibiki told Ino (for the hundreth times) to sew those foot back because they need to do a mission. 'Slut' got him exploded, _literally_. Explosive powders somehow made its way to his stomach, and a drink Ino had innocently gave him when he complained that his body was getting hot triggered the explosion. She had watched it coldly and stored his head on her cupboard for a week before again, Ibiki saved his ass and told Ino to put a rejuvenating jutsu on him. 'Whore' got him betrayed on one of their mission to Onigakure. He was supposed to be the bait, of course, but what he wouldn't expect was that she had somehow gave him a paralyzing pills, and for that, he was becoming a subject of torture for eleven hours. The mad men on the Onigakure rebellion movement didn't back away when they realized that Hidan couldn't die. He could never forget the fear and the pain when that hot iron rod made its way through both his eyes, or when it went through his skull. Ino, having done her mission in merely six hours, watched him from secret room before she made her way into the room, definitely overwhelmed by twenty shinobis over there but at least she managed to inject him the antidote. In his full power, twenty shinobis are merely snacks for Hidan. He endured the pain of torture for another two hours when _he_ tortured Ino before he passed out.

"Well." Ino's decisive tone woke him from his brooding. "Of course we left her here. She's none of our business. Maybe she was just another casualty from Migure's twisted mind."

Migure was a corrupt landlord of the Star Country rumored to be involved with the resurrection of Uchiha Madara. He was immediately banished out of the country when evidence were found on his mansion, and at the moment Hidan and Ino were tasked to investigate about his rumored hideout in the Demon Village. Hidan didn't like the village because of its memories, but it's not like Ino cared.

"Nobody's as twisted as you." He said, his words were loaded with venom. Ino gave him a look as she stood up.

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment." She wiped the blood on her hands on his gray robe, leaving huge red stains across the fabrics.

"What the fuck, woman?!" He snapped. Sometime along the times they had spent together, Ino had found his little obsession for cleanliness and somehow she always found her way to mess around it. Ino rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner.

"Don't be such a wuss, let's get out of here. It started to feel like that the creepy woman is staring at me." She walked toward the door and waited for him there with demanding eyes. He swore beneath his breath at how much he didn't like this particular azure-eyed woman.

"Hurry up! Ooh … Are _you_ getting sentimental for that woman?" It was definitely mockery in her tone as they walked along the dimly lit corridor.

"Please." He responded and let out a small chuckle.

Well … didn't she? _Just a little bit?_

**XXX**

"Are you okay?" Hidan asked her as he handed her a cup of coffee. Ino knew her partner too well to know that there was definitely an unpleasant comment following that seemingly caring question.

"You screamed like _little girls _this morning, after all." The huge, idiotic grin pasted on his face irritated her so much she felt like tossing her coffee all over his face. She didn't, because after six month spent with Hidan with countless of sadistic ways to get back at him for killing her Sensei, the games are getting old. She didn't take pleasure on doing that anymore, besides, that one time when Hidan was so angry he decided to stick a hot, iron rod through her stomach? The wound healed almost instantly but she's _so_ not wanting to repeat that ever again.

"I had a nightmare." Ino said as she grudgingly sipped her coffee. Hidan chuckled.

"Exactly. That's what nightmares are for :little girls." He sipped his own coffee and looked at her a with a victorious look.

"Really? I wonder why you didn't have one then." She retorted and let out a sigh. The poor mutilated woman made her appearance on her dream last night and started something like a revenge killing spree. To this day, she could never get herself used to bizarre corpses, and the day she found one, Hidan had to be there. _Of course _she had to act like it didn't bother her by one bit while in fact she was still unable to forget the sensation of the cold, dismembered hand, the disgusting stench, the opened eyes that was filled of fear.

"Is your dream about the woman from yesterday?"

His question stabbed her right through the heart.

"Which woman?" Ino tried to act nonchalant but even Hidan could see right through that. The silver haired man scoffed as he stuffed fruits into his mouth.

"Oh. That dead woman." She added loudly, grabbing the fork from his hand. "No. It's about something else entirely." She lied.

"What is it?" He asked with an amused tone to his voice. Something that scares Ino. Now that's _real _juicy. Hidan looked amused before his reflex made his hand to catch a flying fork that was about to went straight through his heart. He's so used to a frequent random kunai (or shuriken or any sharp things that could pierce through) throw from Ino that he could catch it sleeping.

"It's not your business." She sighed in disappointment as Hidan resumed using the fork to eat the fruit.

"Well. You're my fucking partner." He said it with ease. Ino shot him a glare.

"What?"

"We're _not_ partners." Ino said. "I might be not as vicious as I used to be during the first three months ..."

"You're so tame now." Hidan agreed. "You used to try to gut me every second."

This time, she made sure her fork went through his innocent palm on the table, causing the man to let out a restrained growl.

"Don't cut me when I'm talking."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't _cut _me too because right now I'm fucking hurt." He growled as Ino took the fork out of his hand with a scowl.

"Anyway, this is just another empty mission. There are no signs of Migure whatsoever all across the village." Ino changed the topic easily as she took another sip of her coffee, as if she hadn't stabbed someone's hand. Hidan's wound was already healed and the bloody fork was the only evidence that the incident happened.

"Did you say that that woman was not a sign of Migure?"

Ino shrugged her shoulder. "We didn't know for sure. The idea of a corrupt landlord never interested me anyway." Ino had made her disinterest over the mission very clear ever since the moment Ibiki told them about the mission. She had repeatedly asked her mentor to assign somebody else, or just simply let Hidan go alone, but Ibiki persisted that she's taking the mission.

"We don't have choices, Princess." Hidan said snidely. Ino seemed to completely miss the tone, or was simply didn't care.

"Let's just get outta here fast and tell Ibiki that there's nothing here." Ino said.

"And what if another team was sent and they found something?"

At that Ino stopped and winced. "You're not such an imbecile, apparently."

"Watch your mouth, woman." However, Ino was already too preoccupied with stacks of papers which appeared out of nowhere.

"What is that?"

"News about Migure." She answered in a detached tone. The tone he often found when she was incredibly preoccupied, that in just a matter of seconds, his existence ceased and she lost herself in her world. All his comments and actions being ignored. It irked him at first, moreover when he found out that Ino didn't lose her wariness of surrounding either. He had set up several sadistic pranks on her before, like the shuriken thread trap or small paper bomb under the desk. Anything that could cause her pain he could easily endure. At the moment, though, he was not in mood for pranks. Hidan stood up as he finished his cup of coffee.

"I'm going out. To assess the village." He announced.

"Are you looking for people to murder?" It was a wonder how her tone still could sound patronizing even though she didn't even give him a glance.

"What?" His tone went a pitch higher, definitely offended. Ino momentarily stopped her work and looked at him. She pointed at his necklace. The one with the jashin symbol.

"You've been a bad follower for the past six months."

Hidan rolled his eyes. "That psychopath told me to get my fix somewhere else."

Ino raised an eyebrow. Hidan was definitely referring to Ibiki and somehow it made her wonder the kind of place Ibiki let Hidan went killing rampant in order to satisfy his stupid God.

"Oh. Okay."

There was a silence between the both of them before they stared at each other, wide-eyed and immediately, almost instictively, left the room throughout the nearest window. Ino and Hidan both ran as fast they could away from their hideout, deeper into the forest. Three seconds later, a very loud explosion followed. Ino was repulsed by the explosion, hitting a fir tree with a painful loud thud. Hidan winced at the emerging pain she was feeling on his ribs.

_Stupid fucking link_.

"What the fuck was that?"

"An explosion." Ino answered retorically, holding her own ribs as she stood up slowly.

"Holy shit." Hidan looked at Ino's eerily calm approach over the situation. "Did you plan this? Is it another of your idiotic plan to get your fucking revenge on me?" He started accusing.

Ino looked at him with an exhausted look. "I wouldn't hurt myself if I were behind it, idiot."

"You distract me so I didn't go out when I said I want to go assess the village. You _planned _this!"

Slap.

She slapped him. Hidan glared at her, his right palm still on his slapped cheek.

"Get a hold of yourself."

Hidan was about to retort with something snide and hateful when he sensed several chakras closing on them. He looked at Ino to tell her but her expression told him that she was aware of it too.

"Well, I'd better be." He dragged on his answer as figures of what seems like a dozen of shinobis clad in black started to emerge.

"Yeah. We have guests after all." Ino replied.

Hidan grinned. This was exactly the place Ibiki had told him to get his so-called fix from.

How is it? I hope you enjoyed it! I know it's short ... hmm ...

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